I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU
by C.C Britannia
Summary: i just felt there was something missing in dumbledore's burial when harry broke up with GInny. this is my version of what happened.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry potter, J.K Rowling does.**

**Thanks to my awesome beta: skycledace for editing this story.**

I will be waiting for you

As the volley of arrows landed perfectly a few metres away from the crowd-a tribute by the centaurs- memories filtered through my mind. My gaze shifted to the white tomb in front of me. The tears that had threatened to escape had dried up; leaving no traces of the sorrow that had overcome me.

Dumbledore had sacrificed almost everything, partly for me. I remembered, vividly, the look in his eyes as Snape stood before him.

Betrayed by the man he trusted most.

At once, anger surged through me and I clenched the golden locket in my hand. But that rage did not last long as lithe fingers curled itself around my fist. I looked up and I lost myself in her gentle brown eyes. Staring at her made me realised… how much _they_ had sacrificed. For me.

It all started with my parents, how they had sacrificed their lives out of love. Sirius, the members of the Order, Hermione, Ron… Dumbledore. Not her. No, it was time I faced this on my own.

My lips twitched in an attempt of a smile as I caught the worry in Ginny's eyes. I rubbed the knuckles of her pale hands, telling her wordlessly that everything was going to be alright. Her eyes narrowed from my touch, her way of saying that she could see through my façade. But another question rose up in me. Would she understand my decision, even though it would hurt both of us?

Murmurs from the crowd filled the silence as the last of them drifted away. I stared, unblinkingly, at the very spot where the tomb had lain. The peace that had settled around us was a contrast to my tumultuous thoughts. But one thing was clear enough for me to comprehend.

It was time.

I turned to her, our fingers interlocked as we stared deep into each others' eyes. There was no need for words when our emotions were bared to each other, clear as crystal. Taking a deep breath, I tried to think of a way to soften the blow, my last desperate attempt to protect her.

"Look, Ginny, I know we have not dated for long but I think it will be wise for us to… take a break."

At once, the pupils of her eyes dilated as anxiety set in. I felt it, the soft pulse beneath the thin adipose tissues of her wrist that had elevated from my announcement. However, she seemed to manage to gain control of her emotions and her eyes narrowed slightly from my proposition.

"Why?"

Her face might be a clean slate but there was no hiding the crack in her voice as she tried to hold back a sob. Silently, I saluted her for that control but now was not the time for such expressions.

"Because we can't do this. I'm going on a mission and... if the Death Eaters know that we're together, if they know what _you_ mean to me, they would hurt you and use you as a bait. To get me. And I don't want that."

My voice wavered slightly as that very image filled my mind. Did I make the right decision, breaking it off with her? It was for her own good, right? Or...

"Well, I don't care about them."

This time, I did not bother hiding the soft smile when I heard the steel in her voice. That steel broke the silent monologue in my head. Wordlessly, I gazed into her eyes, saw the grim determination in them and I knew I had to do this. For just like her brother, her stubbornness was visible beneath that soft exterior. I pulled her gently until I felt her small frame against my chest. She placed her soft cheek against my cloak, her fingers gripping the fabric.

"But I care," I stated firmly, as I pressed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "How do you think I will feel if this was your funeral?"

I felt it this time, the soft sob that escaped from her. Her grip tightened as she tried to fight of the tears that threatened to spill. Silently, I brushed my fingers through the soft strands of her crimson hair, torn between the want to take back my words and the need to keep her safe. All of a sudden, I felt her grip slackened, heard her deep intake of breath before letting me go and taking a step back.

We stood a few feet apart, so close and yet so far. It was as if there was a sea in between, parting us and making sure we would never be together. She looked up, a mask drawn over her face as she feigned nonchalance.

"If that is what you really want, Harry."

I closed the gap between us, trying to break through the barrier that she had formed around herself, the protective barrier to keep herself intact and not overreact. Deep down, I was proud of this strength of hers but right now, what I really wanted was the truth of her emotions. I brushed back a few loose strands of her hair and tucked them behind her ear before tracing my fingertips against her cheek.

Inhaling her scent deeply, I leaned my forehead against her as my hand cupped her cheek.

"Ginny," I whispered, willing all my emotions into my voice. "I wish I did not have to do this but it's the only way for me to keep you safe. I _need_ to keep you safe. But this does not mean that I have stopped loving you. Ginny, I love you with every fibre of my being and nothing is going to change that, not our separation, even if you no longer want me."

She looked up then and I saw it, finally. Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears, her pink cupid lips quivering, as if realising what I really meant. She wrapped her arms around my waist as she released a strangled laugh.

"Did you really think I will stop loving you for one day? Harry, you must be mental," she whispered against my chest, silently laughing and crying at the same time.

Gazing into her eyes as I cupped her chin, I slanted my head and pressed my lips against hers, our lips meeting and knowing that it was not goodbye.

"This threat will not tear us apart. We will be together, even if it's in this life or the next," I muttered, grinning softly as our forehead touched.

She tightened her grip around my waist as she buried her face in my chest. But that little to muffle her words, words that brought a true smile to my lips and would forever be etched in my memory.

"And I will be waiting for you."


End file.
